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Book Details
Abstract
This book aims to enable parents in trilingual families to consider possible language strategies on the basis of analysing their individual circumstances. It includes a tool for diagnostic self-analysis that will help each reader to identify their situation and learn how parents in similar situations have approached the task of supporting their children’s use of languages. Based on a unique survey of parents in trilingual families in two European countries, the book highlights the challenges that trilingual families face when living in mainly monolingual societies. It takes into account the recent emergence of a 'New Trilingualism' among educated parents who find themselves in trilingual families because of global trends in migration and the recent expansion of the EU.
Andreas Braun is Research Fellow at the Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care, University of Hertfordshire. He earned his doctorate in 2007 and is a member of the International Association of Multilingualism. During his research career, he has published journal articles and book chapters focusing on language practices of trilingual families with children, incomplete acquisition of heritage languages, education and multiculturalism.
Tony Cline is Co-Director of the CPD Doctorate in Educational Psychology, University College London. His research interests include the education of bilingual children, selective mutism, literacy learning difficulties of bilingual pupils, the education of minority ethnic children in mainly white schools and child language brokering at school.
Through their interviews with trilingual families in the UK and Germany, the authors present a complex and multifaceted reality of the various beliefs and language practices of trilingual families. This unique book shows that there is no single pathway to becoming trilingual and that trilingualism is a dynamic process that constantly adapts to evolving circumstances.
Xiao-lei Wang, Pace University, USA
This book is an exceptional read for trilingual families everywhere! It begins with an overview of trilingualism as well as research on trilingualism but then goes much deeper, examining the differences between bilingualism and trilingualism as well as the special challenges that trilingual families everywhere face. The authors emphasize that not all trilingual families share the same challenges and from there delve into the main focus of the book: providing readers with specific guidance based on their own unique language backgrounds. The authors do this exceedingly well, outlining three categories for which they provide detailed and thorough roadmaps. This book is an enjoyable read, packed with down-to-earth tips, interviews with successful trilingual families and research to back up the benefits of trilingualism. Every trilingual family should have this book on hand.
Corey Heller, founder of Multilingual Living
It is an invaluable manual for trilingual parents; it could help them to choose strategies and methods for maintaining trilingualism in their children. The tips that are offered to the parents are practical and helpful.
Liubov Baladzhaeva, University of Haifa, Israel
Table of Contents
| Section Title | Page | Action | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contents | v | ||
| Figures and Tables | v | ||
| Acknowledgements | ix | ||
| 1\tTrilingualism and multilingualism: An overview | 1 | ||
| Introduction | 1 | ||
| Our Sources | 2 | ||
| Terminology | 3 | ||
| Pinpointing Family Language Background | 4 | ||
| An Outline of the Book | 6 | ||
| Attitudes to multilingualism in society | 9 | ||
| Summary | 12 | ||
| 2\tComparing bilingual and trilingual families | 13 | ||
| Introduction | 13 | ||
| Do children Who Are learning more than One language Get confused? | 16 | ||
| Does learning more than one language enhance cognitive growth? | 19 | ||
| How does the development of the brain differ when a child becomes bilingual? | 21 | ||
| Does a child’s place in the family and school affect Use of the family’s languages? | 22 | ||
| Developing ideas on How multilingualism differs from bilingualism | 23 | ||
| Summary | 25 | ||
| 3\tMonolingual parents living abroad (Group 1) | 26 | ||
| Introduction | 26 | ||
| (a) The parents’ strategies at home | 27 | ||
| (b) Languages at school: exposure to the community language | 29 | ||
| (c) The importance of the extended family | 32 | ||
| (d) Cultural practices and language Use | 34 | ||
| Conclusion | 37 | ||
| Implications for parents | 38 | ||
| 4\tOne or both parents Are bilingual (Group 2) | 40 | ||
| Introduction | 40 | ||
| (a) The struggle with trilingualism | 41 | ||
| (b) Education: Resignation or challenge? | 44 | ||
| (c) Our Relatives Are bilingual as well | 48 | ||
| (d) Cultural identity and language maintenance | 51 | ||
| Conclusion | 54 | ||
| Further support for trilingual families (Group 2) | 55 | ||
| 5\tOne or both parents Are trilingual (Group 3) | 57 | ||
| Introduction | 57 | ||
| (a) Trilingual families and the Use of English | 58 | ||
| (b) Reported attitudes towards trilingualism in the community and school | 61 | ||
| (c) The influence of the extended family | 64 | ||
| (d) Cultural background and language use | 66 | ||
| Conclusion | 70 | ||
| Recommendations for trilingual families (Group 3) | 72 | ||
| 6\tTrilingual proficiency in a multilingual society | 74 | ||
| Introduction | 74 | ||
| Examples of trilingual communities | 74 | ||
| Schooling in a multilingual context | 79 | ||
| Making sense of multilingualism | 82 | ||
| Globalisation and the rise of English | 84 | ||
| Summary | 84 | ||
| 7\tConcluding words | 86 | ||
| Introduction | 86 | ||
| Support for trilingual families | 86 | ||
| English and trilingualism | 89 | ||
| Bringing Up children trilingually against the odds | 91 | ||
| Making a success of It | 92 | ||
| Final thoughts | 94 | ||
| Appendix: Resources for trilingual families with children | 95 | ||
| Introduction | 95 | ||
| Websites | 96 | ||
| Blogs on multilingual issues | 97 | ||
| Online Research Reports | 97 | ||
| Books from parents in trilingual families | 98 | ||
| Multilingual Education | 100 | ||
| Additional academic books on multilingualism | 101 | ||
| References and Further Reading | 102 | ||
| Index | 108 |